Cavan Monaghan pushing to keep its gaming facility

Township a better bet for casino: Deputy Mayor

(PETERBOROUGH) In the midst of fighting to keep a gambling facility at Kawartha Downs, Cavan Monaghan Township is suggesting a joint economic development committee with the City of Peterborough.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's (OLG) modernization process is pitting municipalities against each other, says Scott McFadden, deputy mayor for Cavan Monaghan. Township councillors confirmed their position to keep and possibly expand the current slots facility at Kawartha Downs as it received a report on the issue during a council session on March 4.

In a unanimous vote, councillors opted to approve the report, which now includes the recommendation to ask the City to participate in a joint committee.

With 1,000 full-time jobs currently at Kawartha Downs, between the slots facility and harness racing, there would be an overall job loss if a casino was built in Peterborough, says Deputy mayor McFadden.

A casino is expected to bring roughly 600 jobs to the city.

"It would be the end of harness racing," says Deputy mayor McFadden. "When you're losing jobs, there really is no winner."

Jobs aside, he says councillors believe Kawartha Downs is a more logical place for a casino, with roughly 40,000 square feet already there and room for expansion. There's also more than the required 750 parking spaces at the site.

"(The facility) is more strategically placed where it is, by Highway 115," he says. "There is easy-on, easy-off access, and people are already coming in from all over."

The only people who will benefit from having a casino in downtown Peterborough are those who could use public transit to get there, says Deputy mayor McFadden, adding the casino would then attract a financially vulnerable population.

If expanded, he says Kawartha Downs wouldn't require municipal services from the City. Currently, it's run off of private servicing, which wouldn't have to change if the facility expanded, he says, noting much larger gaming facilities, like Great Blue Heron Charity Casino near Port Perry, are privately-serviced.

While Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett says he doesn't think bringing a casino to Peterborough should be put to a referendum, Deputy mayor McFadden says councillors could end up regretting not giving residents a choice.

"The next election is only a year-and-a-half away," he says. "They're eventually going to pay the price for that."

Deputy mayor McFadden and Cavan Monaghan Mayor John Fallis made a delegation on the issue during a public meeting on March 5 hosted by the City.